Cooking on a boat

Little did I know just how much my experience aboard the Sea Shepherd would inform just about everything I do on Lodos on a daily basis, and the most valuable skill I learned was full time cooking on a ship. On Sea Shepherd, I was the cook/chef for 12-18 hungry workers, 3 meals/day; our ships are all vegan, out of respect for the very wildlife we are trying to protect.

Other than the environmental and health benefits of an all plant-based diet, it’s easier on the ships’ systems, including refrigeration and waste. While underway, Kirby and I eat vegan/all plant based. It’s been really fun and healthful. With a small exception (I recently found some fresh brown eggs in Turtle Bay that I couldn’t resist), we have been eating this way for a couple of weeks now. When we get off the ship or grab food on land, I still pretty much eat vegan, but this is Kirby’s chance to grab a taco or other local meat-inspired specialty.

Coconut curry with kale – yum!

While underway, we haven’t been eating a lot – you just don’t get that hungry while being out at sea for days on end – but we do try to cook some things in advance that can be eaten cold or heated quickly. And, the simpler, the better – if it can be made in 1 pot, even better!